Tempted
by red rose of love
Summary: "If I can remember what it's like to be happy, then please show me." Little Yuuki is brought to be cared for by the Night class while Kaname is away on business. How will Yuuki's life evolve? What relationships will be made? OOC
1. Farewell and Introductions

**A/N: **I had a dream of this whole story idea and I hope you guys enjoy it. Tell me if you want to read more. Thank you!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters of Vampire Knight.

**Chapter 1: Farewell & Introductions**

"Onii-chan, where are we going?" Yuuki asked excitedly, jumping up and down in her seat.

"We're going to go see some people." Kaname said, looking at the young child endearingly. Chocolate brown orbs met his own red brown eyes and she smiled, crawling across the seat to pull the sleeve of his loose shirt. He picked her up easily and settled her on his lap, burying his head into her soft locks.

"Onii-chan! That tickles!" She giggled, fidgeting on his lap. He sighed and stared out the window, seeing the beach front drawing nearer and nearer. He was going to miss her far too much and leaving her with others was going to be the worry of his heart.

"Wah, Onii-chan, what is that?" Yuuki asked in fascination, having never seen the sight before her.

"It's the ocean, Yuuki. You'll get to play there soon." He told her softly. Soon enough the car stopped and Kaname's heart sank. He opened the car door and Yuuki went flying out, admiring her surroundings with the eyes of a mere toddler.

Seven vampires bowed in unison. "Welcome Kaname-sama."

Kaname nodded as the driver unloaded Yuuki's luggage.

"Wah, you're so pretty, onee-chan!" Yuuki said, pulling at the hem of Ruka's dress. She looked down at the child with an expression of shock. Kaname quickly picked Yuuki up in his arms and whispered into her ear.

"Yuuki, you're going to be staying with these people for awhile. I'll try to visit you and write to you." He told her.

Yuuki's world stopped.

"What? Where are you going onii-chan? Take me with you!" She cried into his shoulder softly.

"Yuuki, you can't tell them I'm your brother, call me Kaname. I'll always love you." He whispered reassuringly into her ear, but all understanding was gone from Yuuki.

"Ichijou, this human child is very important. All of you, take care of her while I'm gone. If I hear that any harm has come to her, you will suffer the consequences." Kaname said coldly.

All the vampires nodded. Ichijou smiled and walked to Kaname. "Yuuki-chan, my name is Ichijou Takuma, it's nice to meet you," he said, trying to get a glimpse of the child's face.

Yuuki slowly turned her head and was in awe.

"Ouji-sama!" Yuuki was dazzled by the kind smile of the blonde haired, green eyed vampire.

Kaname placed Yuuki into Ichijou's open arms and looked at her one last time, not knowing when he'd be able to see her again.

"Bye bye Yuuki, I'll try to see you soon." He said in farewell.

Before Yuuki realized that she was duped by the charming vampire, she yelled, "Kaname! Don't leave me here! Kaname!"

Kaname stepped into the car and didn't look to see Yuuki as the distance between him and her lengthened.

"I love you Yuuki." He said more so to himself.

Yuuki was heartbroken. The arms that Ichijou held her with weren't the same as Kaname's. He was truly gone, what did she do to make him leave her here? The six other vampires loosened up and sounds of protest against the child care of Yuuki erupted.

"Who is going to take care of that ochibi? Not me." Aidou exclaimed. Kain smacked him in the head, "Kaname has entrusted her with us and we will take care of her so," he said.

Yuuki, meanwhile was sulking, a slow trickle of tears forming, she hugged Ichijou tightly as he made comforting sounds. Everyone else was stunned into submission. When had Ichijou become such a certified babysitter?

"Ichijou, what are you doing?" Ruka asked, peering at the child from a good 2 feet away.

"I'm comforting the girl, she's quite scared. Let's go inside, it's getting chilly out here. Don't forget her luggage." He walked into the house leaving the rest of them to carry her luggage inside.

"Just, what does a little girl like her have so many heavy bags for?!" Aidou yelled in frustration.

Shiki stared at him blankly with pocky sticking out of his mouth, carrying the bags given to him with much ease. Aidou muttered to himself and before he realized what happened, he heard the resounding bang of the closed door.

"AHHHHHH, this is not my day!!!"

Everyone, minus Aidou who was yelling outside, gathered around the living room. Yuuki was hiding her face while Ichijou was petting her head.

"Now, now, Yuuki. Why don't you introduce yourself to everyone?" Ichijou suggested. But Yuuki only answered with a shake of her head and an adamant, "No!"

"I'll give you some pocky if you do," a different voice said, Yuuki turned her head shyly and looked up at the new person. He had reddish brown hair and had pocky sticking out from the corner of his mouth, which Yuuki realized, she really wanted. She settled herself facing everyone, their eyes looking at her from all angles.

"My name is Cross Yuuki. I'm five years old and I like pocky," she said, holding her hands out to Shiki who gave her some pocky in an indifferent manner.

Suddenly, the front door opened with a bang and Aidou fell inside with a flourish.

"This ochibi's bags almost killed me!" He shouted, all eyes went to him.

"Who are you calling ochibi?" Yuuki asked calmly, staring at him. There was only silence in the air.

"Who else would it be? It is you of course." Aidou said with a condescending air.

"You must be monkey face. I don't like you." Yuuki said looking away. The vampires had a very hard time muffling their laughter.

"My name is Aidou Hanabusa, not monkey face, ochibi." He said with little patience.

"Please excuse my cousin's behavior, my name is Kain Akatsuki."

"The provider of your pocky, my name is Shiki Senri. I bet I like pocky more than you."

"My name is Touya Rima."

"My name is Ruka Souen."

"I am Seiren."

Yuuki stared at everyone in bewilderment after each introduction, confused. She yawned and Ichijou stood up.

"Alright, I think that's enough with the introductions." He announced. "Yuuki, do you want to sleep?" He asked, but the poor girl was already dozing off on his shoulder and he chuckled slightly to himself.

"I'll put her to sleep in my room; I think she'll be most comfortable that way. Goodnight everyone." Ichijou cheerfully said, walking up the elegant staircase and disappearing.

"That girl, just who is she exactly to Kaname, calling me monkey face. Does she even know who I am?" Aidou muttered.

Kain shook his head and everyone took it upon themselves to go their separate ways to their rooms.

**A/N: **So…? How did you guys like it? Please review and tell me your opinions!


	2. Rise and Shine

**A/N:** Please do not hesitate to tell me if you think any characters are OOC! Okay, on with the story!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the character of Vampire Knight.

**Note: **Writing this fic is actually quite difficult for me. I started off comfortable writing in 3rd person but started writing in 1st person after sometime. It's been so long since I've written a 3rd person fic that it's really strange for me and maybe not as well written. Sorry you guys, I'll try to be as detailed as possible. I realize it sounds pretty bland at times.

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**Chapter 2: Rise and Shine**

"Ouji-sama!" Yuuki yelled cheerfully at the still form of the sleeping blonde.

An unintelligible sound came from under the massive covers as he responded to Yuuki's childish wake up call. She nudged him in the shoulder and realized no progress was going to be made. Poking a rock would have seemed more fun and enjoyable. It was only 5 hours since Yuuki came to her new home and she was already bored out of her mind.

She crept out of Ichijou's room and wandered down the elegantly decorated hallway. _I wonder where the pocky boy is?_ Yuuki walked down further and decided to randomly open the nearest door. She turned the door knob gently and opened the door, rushing inside with the swish of her dress being the only sound amid gentle snores. The curtains of the windows and entrance to the balcony were closed. She tip toed to the bed to see who it was and she frowned.

"Kaname-sama..." He mumbled in his sleep, continuing to snore.

"Kaname is mine, monkey face!" Yuuki whispered.

She lost interest with him and started exploring his room. On the wall closest to the bed, a huge box covered by a dark burgundy cloth sparked Yuuki's curiousity. She pulled the edge of the cloth and watched the flowing material fall to the ground before her feet. At first sight the items in the glass display box were junk until Yuuki read the careful labels next to each piece.

_The fork Kaname used at the Aidou gathering...the wine glass Kaname broke in anger..._

Yuuki giggled at the sight of Aidou's collection but saddened at the sight of Kaname's name. She missed him dearly, only he would somehow make time for her in his busy schedule.

She turned away from the glass case and decided to stare at the sleeping Aidou's face. _He doesn't look like a monkey._ If he wanted to he could easily be another Ouji-sama, only if he weren't so haughty. But in his sleep he seemed, _cute_ thought Yuuki. She couldn't imagine the same unwelcome tone Aidou used just earlier, with the expression he had right now, one of blissful innocence.

"Time to have fun!" Yuuki announced to herself and she grinned, climbing onto the bed. She pulled her small body up using the covers and started jumping up and down.

"Get up monkey face! Rise and shine!" She yelled, her high pitched peals of laughter echoing in the large room. Aidou moaned and opened one turquoise eye.

"What an eyesore, go away ochibi!" Aidou mumbled into the pillow.

Yuuki pouted, "But...but I came all the way here to wake you up. Please, get up, I'm so bored."

"I'll get up if you wake everyone else up first, come see me then." He told her, _I'm such a genius, more sleep for me._

Yuuki jumped on top of Aidou one last time before climbing off the bed to explore the rest of the doors.

Aidou growled in his bed, "that ochibi is going to get it!"

Yuuki rushed into the room to the right of Aidou's and climbed onto the bed once more to see who the person was. Its monkey face's tamer. Unbeknowst to Yuuki as she was peering closely at Kain's face, he swung his arm out from under the covers and knocked Yuuki down into the soft cuddly masses of the sheets.

It feels like I'm on a cloud Yuuki thought gleefully. Kain's muscled arm trapped Yuuki. She squirmed but to no avail could she move away. Kain's sleeping face stared at Yuuki and she wished it were the face of Kaname. She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to remember what it was like to sleep cuddled up within her brother's warm arms. When she opened her eyes, the amber eyes of Kain Akatsuki met her own.

"Hi." Yuuki said softly.

Kain abruptly lifted his arm and scrambled to sit up, a hand flying to his forehead sighing.

"You scared me. What are you doing in here Yuuki?" Kain asked with his eyes closed, his hand massaging his temple.

"I'm here to wake you up. Aidou said to wake everyone else first and that he would get up if I did." Yuuki replied honestly.

"Hanabusa..." He murmured in disapproval. He covered himself quickly with the covers as he realized he was unclothed in front of the young girl. Yuuki tilted her head, wondering why he was so embarassed.

"Yuuki, I'll be out soon, you can go wake up the others now. Try knocking next time, please." Kain said as he flopped onto his back.

Yuuki shrugged and slid off the bed, running out the door.

"What an energetic kid." Kain mused outloud. The sight of her so close to him when he felt a warm body beneath his arm alarmed him. He had been having a dream of Ruka. He shook the remnants of the lingering dream out of his head, groaning as he got up to get dressed.

Yuuki hopped to the next door and let herself inside and found boxes of pocky on the floor, some stacked into haphazard pocky castles. Yuuki's eyes widened at the sight and she took a box that was atop the castle. It came crashing down and Shiki woke up instantly.

Yuuki looked up and found him staring at her hand. She let go of the pocky and smiled innocently.

"Hi! Everyone's getting up!" Yuuki said very quickly, closing the door behind her. She let out a breath and thought she'd find a way to get some pocky later. She headed to the next door with less excitement. Her legs were getting tired from all the running and jumping.

She opened the door and yelled, "Get up! Get up! Get up! Everyone's getting up!"

"Who is bothering me at this hour?" Ruka said in a very succinct and strict manner. Yuuki blinked a few times, as much as she thought she was one of the prettiest girls she had seen, she was scared. She quickly closed the door and bustled along to the next unopened door she could find. Yuuki figured the remaining doors were the residence of Touya and Seiren as she yelled and quickly closed the door, hearing grunts in reply and in Seiren's case, a polite "yes, right away, Yuuki-sama." Yuuki was slightly puzzled by the formal response but quickly regained her normal cheery composure.

"Time to wake up Ouji-sama" Yuuki said gleefully. She ran back to where she began her little adventure with a burst of energy. Before she touched the door, the beaming Ichijou appeared all dressed and ready to go.

"Ouji-sama!" Yuuki exclaimed. Ichijiou laughed and picked her up, walking towards the staircase.

"Wait! Can you please go to monkey face's room?" Yuuki requested pleasantly. Ichijou nodded and walked to the designated door. Ichijou let her down and Yuuki bursted into the room.

Aidou was still slumbering in bed and Yuuki climbed onto the bed once more, stomping on his prone body.

"Ow..." Aidou sat up quickly and grabbed Yuuki.

"Ochibi! I'm up already. You can leave now!" He yelled.

"Okay monkey face. Everyone else is getting ready right now. You better be too, we're going to the beach!" Yuuki said clapping her hands. Ichijou laughed at the whole exchange and beckoned Yuuki to come join him.

She ran back into Ichijou's arms and headed downstairs. Maids waited for instructions at the foot of the staircase.

"Breakfast will be served in the patio, Ichijou-sama." The head maid announced politely.

"Thank you."

Sluggishly walking down the staircase was a line of yawning vampires, Aidou expressing the coldest glare he could muster at Yuuki. She merely looked away and met Ruka's cold stare as well. _What did I do to the pretty onee-san?_ Ruka turned away from her briskly and stepped out to the patio outside, Kain quickly catching up to her new pace close beside her. The sky was bright blue with a few wisps of clouds scattered here and there. Large umbrellas were opened to blot out the direct sunlight and not too far, Yuuki saw the lapping of the ocean against the sand. She was delighted as Ichijou settled her into her seat.

The air was tense amid the gorgeous weather and Ichijou wondered how he could get conversation going when Aidou with his usual loud mouth decided to speak.

"So, Yuuki, how long are you planning to stay again?" Aidou asked in the most pleasant tone of voice he could gather, a strawberry poised right before his lips to eat.

"Until Kaname comes to get me again." Yuuki saddened at the amount of time it could be till she saw him again and sighed.

"Yuuki, we'll head down to the beach today with everyone, right after we eat. So, start eating, the waffles taste very good with the whipped cream" Ichijou interjected as he saw the downcast face of the guest.

"Ah, okay."

"Ichijou-san, I don't think Shiki and I will be able to, we have a new modeling shoot to attend after this." Touya announced, nibbling on a cookie.

Shiki nodded and quietly continued to eat his chocolate mousse.

"Is that so, well I hope we can catch you later then. Ruka, why don't you spend some time with Yuuki and help her get dressed after brunch?" Ichijou suggested sincerely.

Ruka dropped her fork and excused herself of her blunder.

"It's alright. I can dress myself. Thank you for asking Ruka, but I'll be fine." Yuuki said softly, she excused herself from the table and walked back inside.

"If you wish Ichijou-sama, a maid can assist her in getting dressed." A servant whispered into his ear.

"Yes, if you'd watch over her, it would be greatly appreciated."

Kain patted Ruka's arm slightly and gave her look. Ruka shook her head. She did feel a bit guilty but didn't wish to follow the little girl to apologize. Seiren curtly excused herself and walked back inside.

"Shiki, I think it's time to go, our manager is going to be upset if we're late." Touya concluded, not sensing anymore reason to sit around the table. Shiki took one last scoop of his mousse and followed his modeling partner inside like a silent ghost.

"Excuse me." Aidou said, he lifted the napkin from his lap and found himself going up the staircase, in front of Aidou's room. He met Seiren, standing guard.

"What are you doing?" He asked, trying to remember if Ichijou had anything of value to protect besides his collection of manga.

"Guarding Yuuki. It was by the orders of Kaname-sama." Seiren answered succinctly.

_What is she to Kaname-sama to be granted such protection, even among us?_

"I thought Ichijou sent a maid to look after Yuuki, where is she?" He further inquired.

"She sent her away rather quickly." Seiren said.

He knocked on the door, "Oi, ochibi, it's me. Open up!"

"Go away, I especially don't want to see your face, you monkey!" Yuuki responded petulantly, but Aidou detected a slight tremble in her voice.

He sighed and wondered why he even came to comfort a foolish human child. He opened the door without invitation and a giant white pillow smacked him right in the face. Aidou stood still in mere shock and started laughing in a mischievous way.

"AHAHAHA! If you wanted to play you could've just asked nicely." He grinned and grabbed the pillow quickly off the floor launching it straight at Yuuki's prone figure atop the four poster bed.

Yuuki's eyes widened as the pillow thumped the side of her body. She looked down at her lap and found herself smirking. _It's war! _She didn't like being teased by someone like monkey face. It wasn't right to let things end this way.

Ichijou sighed as he sipped his cup of sweetened milk tea. _Why can't things just run smoothly once in awhile?_ He really did adore Yuuki, she shed a new light in the beach house and things felt more interesting with her around. _Not to mention how entertaining it is to witness the expressions Aidou makes when Yuuki stomps all over his ego._

The maid he had sent to Yuuki hurriedly scurried past the entrance to the outdoor patio.

"Excuse me, what is wrong? I thought Yuuki needed to get dressed." He asked kindly.

"She sent me away Ichijou-sama." She said while taking a bow, when a sudden thump and shrieks of laughter erupted from the quiet scenery. A few seconds later a growling sound was emitted and Ichijou was most curious to see what exactly was happening upstairs.

"Ah, you may be excused." He said rather unsure of the situation occurring without his knowledge.

He hurried up the broad staircase and heard the noises getting increasingly louder as he approached his door. Ichijou was extremely puzzled as he opened the door.

What he saw at that moment was something he was not expecting at all. There were feather strewn all over the room. Yuuki covered in white feathers was sitting on top of a sprawled Aidou on the ground. His face was pressed against the floor, his mouth stuffed with the overwhelming amounts of white fluff.

"Hi ouji-sama! I'm taming the monkey!" Yuuki said cheerfully, while Aidou was helplessly spitting out the feathers but sadly failing to do so.

"ICHIJOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHERE DID YOU GET THAT CAMERA?!" Aidou screamed trying to breathe without the feathers choking him.

"Say cheese!" Ichijou laughed an overeager Yuuki smiling for the camera as the camera flashed.

_The first memories of her stay here. Many more to come I'm very sure. _

"I can't wait to show these to Kaname-sama!" Ichijou exclaimed.

Aidou growled attempting to get back on his feet when Yuuki jumped leaped into the air and comfortably sat down on his back. The breath he'd just taken whooshed out and he started coughing.

"Stay down monkey. I didn't say you can get up yet." The sadness she had felt was completely forgotten.

"Kaname-sama!" Aidou cried. _I will get my revenge ochibi! Just you wait!_

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_-End chapter-

**A/N:** So what do you guys think? Please feel free to drop me a review or any comments/reactions. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Changing Me

**A/N: I know I am such a horrible person for not updating at all but I've been very busy with school. But I need some opinions on how much longer I should talk about littleYuuki while she's growing up in the beach house? I don't want things to get stale and boring. Well please let me know, my readers, I need some feedback on this. Thanks for your support!**

**Note: In chapter 1, I accidentally introduced everyone, first name, then last name which is the western way to introduce yourself. I meant to write it the Japanese way which is last name then first name. Because Yuuki hasn't familiarized herself with everyone yet, she'll be addressing many of them on a last name basis. Just letting you guys know!**

**Also, I never planned the whole age difference thing properly from when I started writing but it seems like all the vampires are much older than Yuuki which wouldn't make sense because Yuuki is only about 2 or 3 years younger than the actual vampires in the manga/anime. Sigh, I'm just going to say they are much older, because they are vampires, and they don't age as quickly as humans. Just use your imagination!**

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**Chapter 3: Changing Me**

"My mouth still feels all feathery." Aidou complained, spitting disgustingly off the side of the patio.

"I KNEW IT, I JUST FOUND ANOTHER FEATHER. HOW GROSS!!!" He yelled out loud in fury, glaring at the child who was playing with Ichijou's hair while in his arms.

Yuuki finally acknowledged Aidou's outbursts with a straight face towards his direction and stuck her tongue out mischievously. _It's much too easy to annoy him_. Ichijou shook his head at the hot headed Aidou and smiled at Yuuki who caught his gaze. She blushed and looked away shyly, squirming to be put down. He relented and freed her from his comforting arms.

She was dressed in an adorable yellow sundress, that made her shine even more so under the rays of the bright sun adorning the sky. A thin gold ribbon was tied at the end of the braid that kept her hair out of her face as she spun around in circles staring up at the clouds above. It was an image of pure innocence and carefree enjoyment.

Moments later, the rest of the charming vampires descended down the staircase and stepped out towards the patio to meet everyone else. Rima and Shiki shared an umbrella to block out the sun's rays and wore fashionable designer sunglasses. Rima seemed bored of the activities and blew a bubble with her bubble gum. Shiki staring off far away as if her were in his own little world. Ruka wore a cute lavender string bikini with jeweled accents on the ties. She casually tied a cover up around her waist as if no one were just balking at her just now.

"Ruka, what kind of example are you setting for Ochibi?" Aidou asked, smirking all the while.

"What's wrong? Onee-san looks so pretty. Leave her alone." Yuuki said pointedly, giving Aidou a condescending look, as if to say her were the foolish one. At this point it was hard to tell who the older one in charge was.

Aidou spluttered as he tried to come up with something to say. He couldn't believe the little kid was defending Ruka and making a complete idiot out of him.

"By the way you have a feather poking out of your hair, monkey face. You might want to go check the mirror." Yuuki said, laughing. Aidou never ceased to amaze her; he was just too fun to tease.

"Yuuki, let's leave Aidou alone for now. You've traumatized him enough for today."

Ichijou stuck his hand out for her to grasp but she turned around to look at Kain. He was gazing at Ruka as surreptitiously as possible from the corner of his eyes but Yuuki had noticed the slight embarrassed flush to his cheeks. She wondered if Kain had a little crush on Ruka. _Of course he does, Onee-san is so pretty after all._

Yuuki carefully went up to Kain who was mesmerized by Ruka standing not too far ahead. Ichijou glanced at Yuuki who had forgotten his outstretched hand and he smiled when he saw the girl staring at Kain who was then staring at Ruka. He chuckled to himself and shook his head slightly; he knew of the relationship between Kain and Ruka and wondered what was going to happen next.

Yuuki poked Kain's side to get his attention but noticing as he didn't react to it at all she jabbed her fingers into his side even harder.

"Ow, what the-!" He looked down at Yuuki as she smiled sweetly up at him. She tugged at his loose shirt and pointed to a direction that was a little ways off from the main group. He decided to go along with the small child and let her pull him away as the rest of the group walked on ahead to the beach.

"What do you want little kid?" Kain asked a bit gruffly.

"Do you like Souen-san?" Yuuki asked quietly.

Kain stared at the little girl and was calculating as to whether or not he was being that obvious.

"It's alright, Akatsuki-san, you weren't being too obvious but I just saw how close you are by Souen-san's side. Have you ever told her?" Yuuki asked.

"Umm, no. I haven't but I have my reasons." Kain answered; embarrassed that he had to even explain his love problems to a 5 year old child.

"But why? Kaname always tells me that he cares for me. You should too Akatsuki-san, it makes people happy to know you are cared for. I am sure that Souen-san will be happy. She always looks like she's far away and deeply sad in the inside." Yuuki said so innocently.

Kain sighed. He wished that life would be as simple as Yuuki had explained. But he just didn't know what to do. _Why is it so complicated?_ He didn't know what he was to Ruka, other than that he was a good listener to her problems when she couldn't keep it in anymore. She had always loved Kaname passionately since she was little and there Kain was, a silent comfort to Ruka's unrequited affections for someone she deemed to be so faraway from where she stood.

"She is in love with someone else. How could I possibly tell her anything, knowing her affections are towards someone I know, someone I undoubtedly respect." Kain said.

"Is it ok, if I ask who it is?" Yuuki asked softly, not meaning to pry.

"Kaname-sama." He replied.

"YO OCHIBI! KAIN, HURRY UP!" Aidou yelled, trying to wave them over. The two stared at the fool who seemed to be doing some strange dance to gain their attentions.

Yuuki rolled her eyes and started walking towards the rest of the group, Kain slowly following behind her. She didn't say anything in response to what Kain said, she wasn't sure what she should say.

"Thanks." Kain whispered from behind her. It was barely audible but had reached Yuuki's ears, she smiled. _I'll definitely help you, _she thought, giggling slightly. Upon reaching Aidou's position, he sternly glared at the girl.

"Are you trying to make us wait for you? Stop lagging behind like some brat." He said pointedly. Yuuki's smile turning into an annoyed frown.

"Aidou, leave the girl alone." Kain said exasperatedly, laying a hand on the small girl's shoulders and steering her away from Aidou's immature self.

Kain faintly heard his cousin humph and ignored his immaturity. It amazed him how such a young girl can be more mature than his cousin, but then Aidou had always had such an immature air about him at times, it was part of his nature.

"Wah, it's the ocean. I've never seen it in real life before!" She ran off along the sand, kicking off her sandals as she sped off to the shore line carefully digging her toes into the wet sand.

"Yuuki, be careful, don't go in too much, it's dangerous. Oh and you forgot to put sun block dear girl. Come back here!" Ichijou yelled frantically.

"Ichijou-san, are you her father all of a sudden?" Aidou asked sarcastically, dumbfounded by his behavior.

"We're here to look after her. Imagine Kaname's face if he were to make a surprise visit and found Yuuki with her soft pale skin peeling and her face all red. Or, what if she gets taken by the ocean and and and-!" Ichijou said panicking, his eyes growing larger by each new occurring possibility. He ran off towards Yuuki in mid-sentence, forgetting Aidou's existence, carrying the girl right back near an umbrella and towel set up by Seiren.

"Ouji-sama, stop it. I want to go back!!!" Yuuki whined, pointing to the glistening ocean.

"Not until I slather this waterproof, SPF 70 sun block lotion on you. And after this, you're wearing a life jacket." Ichijou said, making sure he rubbed on lotion on every exposed piece of flesh.

"You have your bathing suit underneath your dress right? Take the dress off so I can get the lotion on your back." He said.

Yuuki shimmied out of her dress and sat down on the towel, feeling the icky lotion being slathered all over her. All she wanted was to go feel the water along her toes. She sighed, "Hurry up, Ouji-sama!"

He mischievously smiled and rubbed the squirted lotion onto his palms, tickling her exposed belly. Yuuki's eyes lit up as childish giggles erupted from her mouth. Ichijou laughed along with her as she struggled to breath amidst all her laughter. He tapped her belly lightly, stopping his onslaught of tickling.

"Okay Yuuki-chan, you are done. You can go play now." Ichijou said. Yuuki's eyes shined, a few tears escaping from all the laughing.

"Wait, you forgot the lifejacket. Let me put it on you."

Yuuki groaned at all the obstacles she had to go through just to play in the ocean. Ichijou was starting to remind her of Kaname. She blinked away a few tears that were beginning to form, from the sudden image of her smiling brother reading her a book.

_Flashback- a week ago_

"Onii-chan, read me the little mermaid again!" Yuuki said excitedly as she crawled into bed, her eyes gleaming happily.

"Again Yuuki? But I read that same story to you every night. Aren't you tired of it already?" Kaname asked, teasing.

"I'll never get tired of it. The pictures are so pretty. Is the ocean something real?" Yuuki asked.

"Yes it is, you'll get to see it soon." Kaname said, frowning inwardly, knowing the day he'd have to leave her with Ichijou was coming sooner.

"Are mermaids real? Will I meet a mermaid princess?" Yuuki's face peering at her brother's face.

Kaname chuckled, "Maybe you will meet one. But you'll always be my princess."

"Onii-chan you're my prince. I love you onii-chan!" Yuuki leapt from her bed into her brother's embrace next to her bed.

"I love you too Yuuki." Kaname said rubbing circles into Yuuki's back comfortingly. He held her close, missing her already. He couldn't bear to be without her for so long and he knew it would be a long time. A long time before she would be safe.

_End Flashback_

"Yuuki, you're all set. You can go play, but don't go too far into the ocean, alright?" Ichijou said, noticing how still and quiet Yuuki had gotten.

"Oh…Ouji-sama, thank you." Yuuki said shaking her head from the sudden memories, as she ran off to go play. The wind was gentle and the sun's ray weren't too harsh, it was a comforting warm. Everything was completely gentle and Yuuki smiled as she stopped running and took a deep breath of the ocean air.

"I miss you onii-chan." She whispered to no one but the playful wind tossing her stray hair into a dance. She pulled the gold ribbon off the end of her braid and watched as each strand became loose and flew behind her with each cool caressing breeze.

Without Yuuki even knowing, everyone sitting on the beach relaxing couldn't help but notice the beautiful if tiny figure standing so beautifully as if she were an ethereal creature or a nymph.

Ruka stared, not out of jealousy or disdain but out of pure happiness, and she didn't even know why. The image had reminded her of her own childhood and how it should have been. Even now she felt so stiff and so contained, all the etiquette that was drilled into her having become a part of her everyday life. Ruka drew her knees to herself and put her sunglasses on to hide any tears if they were to escape. Before she even knew what was happening, she felt two arms wrap around her from behind, pulling her close. She looked behind and saw Kain's familiar face, he didn't look at her but stared straight ahead.

Ruka smiled, knowing she wouldn't want him to see her like this. He moved to her side and let one arm rest along her shoulders to pull her closer to his side. One thing that surprised Kain was that she let him, resting her head within the crook of his arm. The skin on skin contact left him tingling. He heard a sigh, which he hoped was a sigh of content. He had never felt more comfortable than he did now. They both smiled unknowingly.

A few ways off, Ichijou and Aidou sat gazing watching Yuuki frolic around near the waves, splashing around, collecting sea shells.

"So…?" Aidou said, his right hand grabbing fistfuls of sand to just let it seep between his open fingers.

"Don't you think Yuuki-chan is so cute?!" Ichijou said his eyes round and glistening. "She's like a shoujo manga character!!!" He exclaimed, excitedly.

Aidou fell over to the side, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. _WHAT IS ICHIJOU THINKING?!_

Aidou got up swiftly, leaving the fantasizing otaku. _It's not as if he even notices me leaving him._ He continued to walk toward Rima and Shiki who sat on a broad picnic blanket with a huge canopy set over their heads. They were always so careful with their skin. But his mouth fell open when he saw that numerous amounts of little snacks and desserts surrounded them.

"Enjoying the food?" Aidou inquired, trying to keep his cool composure intact.

Shiki glanced up at Aidou and nodded before putting another spoonful of dessert.

"Would you like some, Aidou-kun?" Rima asked, wondering why he was just standing there looking at them.

"Sure, why not. I'm so bored as it is. It's a private beach and there aren't any girls to play around with." Aidou pouted, grabbing a spoon to eat the chocolate pudding he found right in front of him.

"Did the maids deliver this?" Aidou asked.

"Yeah, Shiki and I were getting a little hungry and thirsty so we requested some to be delivered." Rima answered.

"Cross-san is a weird girl, isn't she?" Shiki said to no in particular it seemed.

"I think so. She moves around so much, you can't ever tell what she's going to do next." Rima said.

"Ochibi is just an annoying elf." Aidou said in a matter of fact way.

Seiren made sure to stay close but not too close, sitting on a towel a bit off to the side near Shiki but closer to the ocean. She was devoted to serve Kaname in any way and if Cross Yuuki was an important person to him, then she was an important person to her. Seiren didn't know why a human girl would be important but she didn't let her mind wander off to find the reasons why. The task given to her was to make sure Yuuki stayed safe and that was the only thing she was worried about.

But Seiren had to admit that the girl had a lively aura around her that seemed to shine brightly wherever she went. At times it made her uncomfortable; she had never been around such a person like Yuuki. It was something new for Seiren.

"Seiren-san, is that you?" Yuuki asked, walking towards Seiren.

"Ah yes, Cross-sama." Seiren responded, surprised Yuuki would take the time to notice her.

"Oh, why are you sitting alone. Aren't you bored? You should play with me. Everyone's being all boring like old people sitting around on the sand." Yuuki said, smiling.

"Oh…I don't know Cross-sama…" Seiren said hesitatingly.

"Why do you keep calling me Cross-sama? Just call me Yuuki, it's fine." Yuuki said, gazing at Seiren's grey, icy blue eyes.

"Oh, because you are important to Kaname-sama." Seiren answered, in a more assured tone.

"Ah, Seiren-san, it's fine, just call me Yuuki or Yuuki-chan will be alright. I don't feel comfortable being addressed like that." Yuuki said, stretching out her small hand for Seiren to hold.

Seiren looked at Yuuki's warm brown orbs and slowly reached to touch Yuuki's hand and before she even knew what was happening, she was being dragged towards the water.

"You know, Seiren-san you have very pretty eyes." Yuuki said to Seiren, glancing back at Seiren once in awhile as she pulled her towards the ocean.

"Oh, thank you." Seiren said, feeling out of place. She didn't know what to do, no one had given her this much attention before. She felt her cheeks get hot.

Seiren felt the sand beneath her toes feel colder and wetter as Yuuki pulled her along. Soon enough the water started reaching her toes before receding back and coming towards her toes again.

Yuuki, pulled her in closer till the water rose to their knees. Seiren, felt the water rush in and out, and couldn't believe how clear blue the water was. Suddenly, she felt her right side drenched with water as Yuuki started splashing her vigorously.

Seiren laughed and she started splashing the water back at Yuuki who stood smiling. She started running away, "Come and catch me Seiren-san!"

Seiren let out a breath and decided to listen to her charge, running to catch the energetic child.

Ichijou gazed at Yuuki fondly. He didn't know who she was to Kaname but he didn't have to guess too hard to know what kind of effect she has on Kaname. She could make anyone feel better and he even noticed how Seiren opened up to the child as well. No one had really been able to before; she was always quiet and obedient to Kaname. He continued to think and be content with the changes made to the atmosphere since Yuuki's arrival, taking a sip of the blood red drink in a colored glass to hide its appearance.

"Excuse me. Thanks for the pudding." Aidou said to the two inseparable models.

They both nodded and continued to eat, Aidou had no idea how they were able to eat so many sweets at once. He decided to wet his feet in the ocean, it was beginning to get a bit hotter and the fresh air from the sea felt great.

But as he walked closer he noticed a tide pool. He crouched down to peer at the little creatures in the water. He peered at the hermit crabs crawling around, starfishes, and numerous sea urchin riddled on the bottom of the tide pool when an idea suddenly came to him.

He glanced around him trying to spot the elf girl and saw her playing around with Seiren, pointing to the ground picking up a seashell. They both stopped running and crouched down together to look for seashells. Aidou stood up and walked towards them. Yuuki looked up as she noticed a shadow coming closer.

"What do you want monkey-face?" Yuuki asked her eyes narrowing at the blue-eyed beauty.

"Nothing, I just noticed a tide pool not too far from here and thought you would like it Ochibi." Aidou said shrugging nonchalantly.

"Oh really, Seiren let's go see." Yuuki said grabbing Seiren's hand. Aidou turned around to lead the two near the tide pool.

"Oh wow, it all looks so pretty. Don't you think so, Seiren?" Yuuki asked looking to her left to see Seiren's response.

"Especially the starfish Yuuki." Seiren said pointing at it.

"Oh you're right, it's such a bright orange color, it sure does stand out don't you think?" Yuuki said smiling all the while with fascinated eyes.

"You mean stand out like yourself Ochibi. You're always flitting about like some hummingbird." Aidou said rolling his eyes.

Yuuki glared at him, looking back at the pool.

"What's that?" Yuuki said pointing at a creature with a shell.

"That's a hermit crab." Aidou said pointing at it. "They live in their shells and find new shells to be their homes when they can no longer live in the on they are hiding in." Aidou said.

"You sure know a lot." Yuuki said, innocently.

"Then what about those purple things?" Yuuki asked curiously.

"Those things are sea urchins, you can actually eat them if you wanted to." Aidou said.

"Oh really?!" Yuuki's eyes lit up and she reached down to pick up the sea urchin.

"Yuuki you really shouldn't pi-" Aidou said, cut off in mid-sentence when Yuuki yelled. She had already tried to grab the urchin and took her hand out of the water quickly, tears erupting from her eyes.

Three thin spines had punctured the palm of her hand and stung pretty badly. Seiren grabbed her hand which started to ooze blood and quickly picked the small child up, running back towards the house. Yuuki sobbed, tears running down her eyes.

Seiren glared at Aidou before taking off. Aidou shivered, they were cold merciless eyes, but he also closely ran along towards the house. Everyone stared at the little girl, the scent of her blood being carried along with the breeze. He didn't notice at first from the shock but he couldn't help but stop suddenly and sniff the air.

A very sweet enticing aroma was coming from Yuuki's blood. Aidou's eyes widened but he shook his head. Aidou kept running until Ichijou reached him, his eyes worried.

"What's going on Aidou? Why is Yuuki crying? And why is she bleeding?!" Ichijou asked very quickly, running towards the house.

"She got stung by a sea urchin by the tide pools." Aidou answered, he also couldn't help but feel worried as well. He had only intended to distract her with the tide pool and scare her with a horse shoe crab he had found.

"I know how to treat it so let's just hurry up into the house." Aidou said calmly.

The both of them reached the entrance through the patio and breathed in hard. They were met with two maids.

"Seiren-sama brought Cross-sama to the parlor. The poor girl is still crying." One of the maids said.

"Bring me a bowl of vinegar, a small towel, anti-bacterial ointment and hot water, but not too hot so it's not tolerable for a hand to be soaked in it. Please hurry and bring it to the parlor as soon as possible." Aidou ordered while walking towards the parlor. Ichijou followed as well.

Ichijou's heart ached seeing Yuuki's pained face within Seiren's arms, but thankfully she was wrapped in a blanket, the house was a bit cold from the air conditioning. He clearly noticed her injured hand and winced as it was being held carefully by Seiren away from Yuuki's line of vision.

"Yuuki, I'm here, Aidou's going to treat your hand so please stop crying." Ichijou said kneeling down beside Yuuki, wiping her tear ridden face.

"Ouji..Ouji-sama?" Yuuki asked in between her sobs.

"Yes Yuuki I'm here." Ichijou said softly, trying to comfort the small girl.

"It hurts, Ouji-sama." Yuuki mumbled, as she felt the continued stinging coming from her hand.

"Let me look at her hand, Seiren." Aidou said.

"Why should I? Isn't this what you planned, as revenge against Yuuki's prank on you?" Seiren said glaring harshly at Aidou.

"That's not what I intended at all. You're misunderstanding me." Aidou said, his hands up as if to shield himself from an oncoming blow.

"Seiren-san, it's okay. Aidou was warning me not to touch it but I carelessly and…and stupidly touched it." Yuuki responded tiredly.

"We need to get the spines out as soon as possible." Aidou said, worriedly.

Seiren complied and Aidou took the offered injured hand from Seiren.

"Ichijou and Seiren you might want to hold onto her tightly, it might be painful while I take the spines out." Aidou said, his finger poised to take the spines out from the direction it was entered.

Seiren held Yuuki's other hand and Ichijou caressed the girl's cheek and uttered comforting words into her ear. Aidou pulled the 1st spine quickly and noticed her hand jerk slightly from the pain as Yuuki whimpered. He quickly took the second and third one out, the blood oozing out slowly with each intruding spine taken out.

"It's ok Yuuki; you're doing a great job." Aidou said smiling reassuringly at the frightened girl.

"Hanabusa-sama, here are the items you requested." The maid said with, laying the tray on the table near him.

"Thank you. You may leave." Aidou said, dipping the towel into the vinegar and carefully wrapping it around the wounded area. Yuuki yelled out, as it began to sting even more.

"Hush, it'll begin to ease the pain, just leave the towel wrapped around your hand, then we'll dip into the water to clean it. Since it's not such a severe sting it won't take long to heal." Aidou said calmly.

He reassuringly stroked Yuuki's arm and glanced at her face. She had stopped crying and peered at Aidou's face and smiled despite what she was going through. Aidou couldn't help but smile back at her as well.

The four of them heard bustling behind the parlor door and found the four other disgruntled vampires crash in through the door.

"What's going on? You guys all hurried towards the house and I smelled something…strange." Kain said awkwardly, catching himself before he got caught saying blood.

"Yuuki just injured herself from a sea urchin sting but Aidou's got it under control." Ichijou said.

The four of the vampires walked towards Yuuki and peered at her hand which was being nursed by Aidou. They tsked and made comforting noises of understanding.

"You should be alright Yuuki, Aidou's very intelligent and skilled with these kinds of things even though he seems like such an idiot to be around." Kain said laughing.

Yuuki giggled, suddenly cheered up by all the supportive visitors. Aidou growled unable to do anything as he held Yuuki's hand wrapped around with a towel.

"I'm going to get you later Kain." Aidou said gritting his teeth.

"Ah, Cross-san, does it hurt?" Shiki asked, a pocky stick in his mouth.

"No, not really anymore. It feels better now. But, thank you for asking." Yuuki said as bravely as she could, her face still wet from her tears.

Shiki noticed and slipped a pocky into Yuuki's mouth, pulling Rima away to give them space, leaving the parlor. Yuuki munched on the pocky, appreciatively.

"Hope you feel better, Cross-san." Rima said softly as they both left the room.

Ruka remained quiet, not knowing what to say. Aidou unwrapped the towel, exposing the punctured hand and watched as Aidou dipped it into the bowel of warm water. Yuuki seemed to be dozing in and out of sleep, comfortable as the pain started to become a dull ache in the back of her mind.

"Sleep well Cross-san." Yuuki heard someone saying, faintly recognizing it as Ruka's voice. She was surprised, she wasn't sure if onee-san had liked her.

"Let's leave her to sleep, Kain. Let's go." Ruka said exiting the parlor, Kain following along but glancing behind at the girl.

"Hmm, I think it's ok to rub the ointment on the wounds and bandage it up with gauze. If it starts hurting again, you can wrap it in a vinegar towel to ease the pain again." Aidou said to Ichijou and Seiren.

"So what exactly happened Aidou? What was Seiren saying? I know she can't be lying. So what exactly did she misunderstand?" Ichijou asked looking at Aidou who continued to bandage the hand carefully and tie the knot snugly.

"I only intended to scare her with this horse shoe crab I found. What kind of person what I be if I actually wanted to harm her, Ichijou. I'm neither that drastic nor cruel." Aidou answered truthfully, looking into Ichijou's deep green eyes with his own emotionally ridden blue eyes.

"I know. I just wanted to make sure, but you're calling her by her name now, her first name to be exact without any honorifics." Ichijou said teasing.

Aidou's face flushed pink from embarrassment and he carefully laid Yuuki's hand on the sofa.

"What are you talking about? I never did." Aidou replied as steadfast as he could, considering he was truly embarrassed to be caught.

"Aww come on, I heard you say it. Right Seiren-san, you heard him too?" Ichijou asked.

"I did hear him say it." Seiren said bluntly looking at Aidou almost accusingly.

"See I told you so, Aidou. She's not so bad; you're even taken with her now, aren't you? I can tell since your face is turning so red." Ichijou said, laughing.

Aidou looked away almost ashamedly as his face betrayed what he intended to say and reject. He had never actually hated the girl, but he didn't want her to know that. She was adorable but he didn't understand why she would be important to Kaname. He was Kaname's right hand man, if she was important to him, how could he have not possibly known before? It confused him greatly.

Yuuki stirred in her sleep and woke up bleary eyed.

She picked up her neatly bandaged hand and looked at Aidou who was looking the other way deep in thought.

"Aidou?" Yuuki called out.

"What?" Aidou said, coming back to reality, noticing the voice was coming from his small patient. He looked at her as she slowly got up from Seiren's lap to sit on the sofa on her own. She carefully stood and walked towards him to hug him as he was sitting on the ground, being careful of her injured hand.

Aidou took in a deep breath and noticed her scent, of the fresh ocean, it was sweet and a bit salty at the same time.

"Thank you." Yuuki said, genuinely.

Aidou, unsure of what to do also hugged her back, shocked at what his own body was doing.

"It's nothing. Just get better alright, Ochibi." Aidou said. But this time Yuuki knew that the feelings behind what Aidou said when calling her Ochibi were of an entirely new connotation. She felt comforted by monkey face.

Yuuki slowly pulled away and smiled her sweet smile once more and with Ichijou's help, she was carried out of the parlor, leaving Seiren and Aidou in the same room.

"Things have really changed, today, hasn't it?" Seiren said, thinking out loud.

"It sure has." Aidou replied without thinking.

They had both been affected by the bright and happy girl that had entered their lives and they couldn't help but smile the way Yuuki infectiously did with everyone she met. Somewhere else not too far, Ruka and Kain contentedly sighed together, smiling as well, their fingers intertwined.

-End chapter-

**A/N: Sorry it has been so long, but to make it up to you guys, I made this chapter longer than I'd usually ever make it. It's taken a lot out of me. But I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and hopefully I will update soon. I'll try my best you guys! But the treatment of sea urchin stings actually works the way Aidou explained. Hopefully no one has to experience that. I've never personally experienced it. But I hope you guys stick around to support me further. **


	4. Troublemakers

**A/N: It has been months since I last updated. It's been quite difficult for me to write but I've been forcing myself and as you can see it worked. I don't know what I can say other than you have to forgive me for being so busy and lazy these past few months. I know I'm unreliable when it comes to updates but I'm glad that many of you have decided to stick around. Thanks for your support you guys. Every one of your reviews are cherished and don't go unnoticed. I'm not sure when I'll update again, check my profile for messages on what is going on if curious.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight and its characters. **

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* * *

****Chapter 04: Troublemakers**

_Don't run away, dear sweet, don't run. It's too dark to see or to hear. Hold my hand as our sin runs through our veins. Don't hide, dear sweet, or the monster may eat you…_

"_Take care of her Kaname. Don't let her go and keep her close. Father and I, love you both," She said as a rivulet of blood ran down from the corner of her lips._

Kaname jolted awake, breathing deeply, his hand reaching up to touch his head as he sighed and closed his eyes. The same dream had been haunting him since he had dropped Yuuki off with Ichijou. He slid his hand over the thin loose white shirt he had on and clenched the fabric over his heart, gritting his teeth with a pained expression. He knew he'd be notified if something was to happen, but he wanted her by his side again. He felt uneasy and weary from the council's wishes and arguments, but all of that didn't matter, what mattered to him was Yuuki, the one existence in his life he couldn't bear to lose.

He grabbed the small container of blood tablets near his bed and plopped them into the glass of water on the bedside table. He watched the tablets dissolve and turn the once clear liquid into a dark shade of merciless red. Picking the glass up carefully with his hand, he stared at it deeply. _I'm to condemn her life to one of unhappiness, sin, and eternal life. _How he wished deeply for the times when Yuuki had known what they were. The burning secret within his chest was so close to breaking through, but he would wait. The caterpillar wasn't ready to come out of its cocoon yet, no it was much too early. Kaname took a sip of the blood that merely staved off the hunger that resided within him, the liquid that was so tasteless and depressing.

Putting the glass on the table again, he went back to bed, laying on his right side. He fingered the cold empty space beside him and sighed, closing his eyes, forcing himself to fall into the deep abyss of sleep that evaded him.

* * *

Yuuki slowly blinked a few times, trying to clear her tired blurry eyes, she stretched her tiny lithe body like a cat waking up from a nice nap in the sun. Getting a hold of her bearings, she noticed the bright blonde head of her Ouji-sama carefully sleeping on the edge of the bed. She decided to lay down back in bed and study the person who showed her the utmost affection since Kaname's departure. Ichijou's breathing was even and his expression was very blissful, Yuuki giggled softly to herself and continued to look into Ichijou's face.

"Ouji-sama, thank you," Yuuki whispered to Ichijou's sleeping face.

She gave Ichijou a light childish peck on Ichijou's cheek, which made him stir from his sleep; he opened his eyes, which were glazed over with sheer tiredness.

"Yuuki-chan?" Ichijou murmured half asleep.

"It's me, you sleeping beauty." Yuuki replied, giggling again.

"How are you feeling, Yuuki-chan? Your hand?" Ichijou inquired, glancing at the bandaged hand that was at Yuuki's side.

"Oh, my hand. I almost forgot. I don't feel any pain." Yuuki said.

"That's good, Yuuki-chan." Ichijou said stretching out his back and arms, the position he slept in not being one of the most comfortable sort.

"Why are you here? It doesn't look too comfortable sleeping like that." Yuuki said, frowning at the chair that was by her bed and the young man sitting on the said chair.

"Oh I was so worried for you Yuuki-chan, so I couldn't bear to sleep in my own room if something were to happen in the middle of the night." Ichijou said, his warm green eyes reflecting his kindness.

Yuuki flushed and soon found the loose thread in her nightgown to be very interesting as she looked away from Ichijou's face. She heard a noticeable chuckle and she looked up to face him.

"You should have just slept on the bed. It would have been more comfortable for you. I…I wouldn't have minded at all." Yuuki said very shyly, unable to meet Ichijou's green eyes with her own chocolate brown eyes. She felt heat rising to her cheeks again and looked back at the interesting piece of loose thread that her fingers were tugging at.

Ichijou's heart was being squeezed by the cute creature before his eyes, he just wanted to hold her tight and spin her around in circles. She was just too cute for him to stay still so he scooped her unsuspecting self and did exactly what he was thinking. Ichijou hugged Yuuki as if her were the baby koala that was clinging onto the mother and spun the poor girl in circles.

By the time Ichijou was done with his own fantasy turned reality, Yuuki's eyes were unfocused and she wasn't sure how many heads Ichijou had or where she was for that matter.

"Ouji-sama? Wahhh I'm not a toy, I'm not a toy! Let me down!" Yuuki wheezed out as Ichijou hugged the last remaining gulps of air she was able to breathe in.

"Oh Yuuki, you're so adorable I don't know how to describe it. You're like a little kitten or a cute puppy or a baby bun-"Ichijou exclaimed before Aidou suddenly came into the picture of Ichijou's happy fantasy.

"Ichijou-san, you can cut it out now! The girl's face is turning blue!" Aidou said trying to pry Ichijou's arms open with vigor and oddly a crow bar also came into mind as Ichijou's grip seemed to be of steel.

Aidou had been rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he had just woken up himself when he saw an overly sugarcoated aura around Ichijou while passing by Yuuki's room and realized that the smothered thing in his arms wasn't one of his many stuffed animals but Yuuki. He almost growled from exasperation as he wanted a peaceful day but the first thing he had to see was an otaku depriving a child of air. Aidou raked his hair untidily with his fingers and with his slippered feet ran forward deciding that he'd like see what it would be like to save the day once again.

"Aidou! Help me!" Yuuki exclaimed out of desperation. Her hair was completely frazzled and Ichijou looked as if he had lost all his senses. Aidou let go of Ichijou and stepped back rubbing his eyes, sighing before clearing his throat.

"ICHIJOU, LOOK OVER THERE, THE NEW EDITION OF **(1) **LALA MAGAZINE HAS COME IN THE MAIL…OH WHAT IS THAT I SEE? LOOKS LIKE KAIN IS USING IT AS A COASTER FOR HIS DRINK!" Aidou yelled dramatically, pointing outside the door.

Ichijou stopped shaking the rag doll form of Yuuki and slowly turned to stare at Aidou, his face darkening. He dropped Yuuki and ran out the door before Aidou could even so much as blink. Aidou smirked and stepped towards Yuuki who slowly sat up, holding her head.

"I guess I can understand that LaLa magazine is more important than me." Yuuki replied, her vision slowly returning from the dizzy blur she was seeing a few seconds ago. Her eyes met Aidou's turquoise blue and she couldn't help but blush, the events of yesterday night rushing back into her mind. She looked away first, picking away at a stray thread on her pink night dress.

Aidou laughed lightly but raised an eyebrow at her peculiar behavior and shrugged it off. He remembered how much their relationship had changed since the incident had occurred, it had left him thinking deeply all night. He wasn't sure of what to do, if everything would go back to the way things were or not. Then again, he also didn't care, _why should I concern myself with such trivial matters? She's just a silly child…that's all._

"How's your hand?" Aidou asked, taking Yuuki's hand to inspect the swelling.

His touch was feather light, and Yuuki almost felt her breath hitch as it tickled her hand. She was ashamed of her reactions; he was just a foolish monkey after all. But now she knew he was kind as well and the memories of his gentle and concerned expression kept invading her thoughts.

"Yuuki? Are you okay?" Aidou asked again, that concerned expression gracing his face again.

"You know you're going to get wrinkles if you keep making such a face." Yuuki deadpanned bluntly, before laughing.

"This is what I get for actually being nice." Aidou pouted.

"My hand is fine. Thanks." Yuuki said looking brightly up to Aidou. She smiled and stood up, her hand slipping away from Aidou's light grasp. She stretched her arms above her head and spun around quickly on her heels to face Aidou who was still crouching on the floor.

"AIDOU! WHY DO YOU KEEP TEASING ME?" Ichijou whined from downstairs, sobbing all the while from the lie.

"Let's go eat breakfast; I think everyone's up and about already." Aidou said, trying to hold his laughter in. He stepped outside and looked back to wait for Yuuki. She ran forward right past him and he quickly joined her, he was pretty sure he smelled blueberry pancakes.

* * *

Ruka wondered when things began to fall in place. She realized that up to this moment in her life she had constantly tried to fit the pieces of her life into its wrong respective places. As if she could force a square block into an opening made for a circle, Ruka sighed contentedly for the first time in many years. For years she had pined for the attention of Kaname, her desires only nurturing a self-destructive nature of despair but loyalty nevertheless. But now, she had finally opened her eyes to the one person who deeply cared for her at all. He was able to fall into the place that only Kaname had rested but only he was able to make her feel as if he belonged there. It was her cold heart, but as she placed her fingertips lightly above it, she couldn't help but feel inexplicably warmer.

Ruka gazed at Kain who was still asleep beside her. She sat up and drew her knees close to her body, staring at her toes that were painted a coral pink. The color only helped to make her feel even girlier. Her hair was tousled and loose from sleep, the wavy curls swaying airily with every turn of her head. She was wearing a large t-shirt that Kain had shyly given her while blushing as his eyes averted from her own. But he was so peacefully asleep, his lips slightly parted. _Should I…kiss…?_ Ruka shook her head to get rid of the foolish thought; she wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing she did such a sneaky thing.

Kain was truly no exception to the beauty that most vampires held with high esteem. Even as he carelessly slept in such a vulnerable state, the short wavy tresses of his light orange hair looked feather soft. Ruka knew very well from the years she was a child to the young lady she was now that the amber eyes Kain had looked at her with such childish glee were now the eyes of a young man who looked at her only with the utmost love. Ruka leaned back into the fluffy white pillows, perfectly satisfied with being by Kain's side as he rested. She looked at Kain's hair again and made a quick check of her surroundings before she hesitantly touched the soft locks of his hair. Smiling she let her hand linger as she comfortingly stroked his hair. _Good bye Kaname-sama, I'm letting you go. I was an ignorant fool, to think the person who is the most important to me, is no other than Akatsuki. I was blinded by an obsession…_

Lost in her own little musings, Ruka was unaware of how Kain's eyes blearily opened to the soft touch of her hand. He was a bit surprised to wake up to such a pleasant thing in the morning and so he stayed still, taking care not to alert Ruka. He scolded himself for doing such a selfish thing but he figured he deserved at least this much for chasing Ruka without rest. She was finally his and he was going to enjoy every single second of this.

As the couple got lost in their own little happy worlds the door opened up with a bang. Kain sat up quickly while Ruka yelped, her hand quickly returning to her lap. Her eyes widened as Aidou stared back with his mouth open. Kain looked away with a sheepish grin, scratching his head.

"WHAT THE HECK? JUST WHAT….RUKA? KAIN? IN BED…WHA-WHAT?" Aidou exclaimed, his tongue fumbling over his own words rushing into his head. He pointed an accusing finger at the two.

Ruka managed to gather her bearings and merely glared at the intrusive insect that Hanabusa was. Both Kain and Ruka failed to notice the short little girl that was proud of her own handiwork.

"You guys had a slumber party and didn't even invite me?" Yuuki asked softly.

Ruka's mask slipped a little as she heard the young voice and she looked at the girl that was slowly approaching the bed toward Kain's side.

"I assure you Yuuki, that you are quite lucky you weren't invited to this 'slumber party'" Aidou said, smirking.

Ruka caught Aidou's insinuating comment from the start and grabbed the nearest pillow, flinging it in the direction of Aidou's face. Her aim was dead on and Aidou coughed as the pillow hit him squarely in the face.

"Aidou, you better shut up before something other than a pillow gets thrown at your face." Ruka said.

"Well maybe you want to consider putting a Do Not Disturb sign right outside your door. I'm just glad that I sleep all the way down the hall from this room." Aidou said undeterred by the pillow, it seemed he was already getting used to the random objects that were regularly thrown at him.

Yuuki unsuccessfully tried to climb up from the side of the bed but unfortunately the bed was rather high. Kain peered down and gave Yuuki a hand by giving her a lift up. Taking advantage of the situation, Yuuki whispered into Kain's ear.

"I guess everything worked out well, Kain-san. Ruka looks so happy and so do you!" Yuuki said, cupping her hand around his ear.

Kain bit his lip slightly and nodded to Yuuki. She flashed him a bright smile and climbed onto his lap, watching Aidou and Ruka exchange verbal blows.

"Aidou, you better watch yourself at night. I'm not sure, maybe when Kaname-sama comes visiting next time, a giant blown up picture of you hugging his missing left night slipper will appear." Ruka said a bit threateningly.

Aidou visibly paled, wondering how Ruka knew about such a thing. If Kaname-sama were to find out, he'd be punished for sure, he gulped noticeably unable to think of a come back.

"Fine. You win this time. Breakfast is being served now. You two should probably come join us now before Ichijou starts making up his own speculations as to why you're both late. If you want to make it less obvious try coming down at different times." Aidou said helpfully but with a glare.

Ruka glared at him with more menace and Aidou clenching his fists, looked away first to Ruka's own delight. She heard a soft growl coming from Aidou as he motioned towards Yuuki to follow him out the door. Yuuki merely responded with a shake of her head, quite comfortable in the position she was in with Kain.

Aidou scowled at Kain for making him look even more like a fool. As if Ruka didn't hurt his pride enough already, now he was trying to be all cool in front of Yuuki as well. _So much for being a hero, I do something nice for her and she's already moving onto Kain. Geez, I can't stand this. _

Kain looked back at his cousin with his arms raised as if he couldn't control the situation with the little girl sitting on his lap as if it were her thrown. Aidou huffed and closed the door behind him as he left. Yuuki just loved to torment Aidou; it was just too much fun.

"Hurry and get ready! There are blueberry pancakes! Aidou might eat all of it." Yuuki said clapping. Ruka and Kain both laughed.

* * *

Aidou petulantly walked down the stairs towards the patio set up with the morning's breakfast. The blueberry pancakes he was so excited about no longer appealed to him. Rima, Shiki, and Ichijou all stared at Aidou's sullen expression as he poked around at the pancakes.

"Did Ruka do something again?" Ichijou said pointedly as he put down his manga. It was obvious to Ichijou that something like this happened on a daily basis.

"Or maybe it was Yuuki?" Ichijou suggested teasingly. Unfortunately for Aidou, it wasn't just Ruka who found him to be an easy victim anymore. If life could get any worse for Aidou, it did, well it did initially but Ichijou had a feeling that Aidou was having just as much fun as Yuuki. Although with Ruka, Ichijou was pretty sure that the feelings between them were still the same.

Aidou refused to acknowledge either of the questions that Ichijou had asked him; he already knew that the answer was already obvious to them both. Shiki and Rima merely shrugged their shoulders and continued to eat without interruption. Aidou was always acting moody; today wasn't any other exception to them.

"Ahh, I love the smell of blueberry pancakes in the morning!" Ruka said, stretching her arms over her head and walking to an empty seat beside Aidou.

"Ruka-san you're feeling oddly chipper today. Something good happen this morning?" Ichijou inquired as his eyebrow quirked.

"Oh, you know, just a bit of verbal bashing exchanged between me and Aidou. Of course it's obvious that I succeeded in knocking down a peg of Aidou's excessive ego." Ruka said in a nonchalant manner as she smiled slightly.

She forked a piece of the pancake and chewed tastefully making sounds of approval over the taste, nodding her head in pleasure. Ichijou just shook his head but he could never grow tired between Aidou and Ruka's antics. Life would be very boring if they were actually nice to each other.

"Where's my delightful Hime-chan?" Ichijou asked, pouting sadly over his cup of tea.

"I'm here Ouji-sama!" Yuuki squealed as she appeared before the doorway in Kain's arms. Kain lazily grinned and let the child run towards Ichijou who eagerly opened his arms wide for her to come crashing into him.

"Hime-chan, why did you come in with Kain-san? Do you not like me anymore? I am much better than Kain-san. Yuukiiiiii!" Ichijou whined slightly.

"Ouji-sama, you must not be so selfish. Sharing is good for you and I like Kain-san. He is very kind even though he's quiet." Yuuki said.

"Kain!" Ichijou suddenly said, gasping in shock. "What did you do to my poor little Yuuki? Her love for me is straying! It's all your doing. I guess this is what we call a love triangle as I have read in many shoujo mangas. No worries, I have studied up on this matter to such a degree that I am a complete expert in this. Be very aware Kain, I shall win this battle!" Ichijou acclaimed dramatically.

_When did this become a battle? I believe you need 3 people to make a triangle and all I see is one person making a fuss and confession of love here. Oh well…_Kain nodded in response to Ichijou's chatter and looked up quickly to see Ruka concentrating on her breakfast right before him across the table. He gingerly grazed her bare ankles with his own and continued to pretend as if nothing happened but he knew he had gotten her attention when she suddenly shifted in her seat. Ruka looked up to catch Kain's mischievous gaze and she sent a challenge right back at him through her determined eyes.

"Cross-sama. Good morning. Are you feeling better today?" A soft voice asked, right behind Yuuki.

Yuuki turned around to see Seiren standing completely straight with her hands at her sides. Yuuki detached herself from Ichijou and grabbed Seiren's hand, pulling her along towards two empty seats so they can sit together.

"I thought I said to just call me Yuuki. I'm feeling much better. Thank you for asking. You shouldn't be so serious around me. Kaname-sama probably told you to look after me but I'm big enough to look after myself. I just need a friend to play with, Onee-chan, okay? It's alright if I call you Onee-chan, right?" Yuuki asked.

"Yes, Cr- I mean Yuuki-san" Seiren responded.

* * *

"Kaname-sama, what is this that you speak of?" An elderly council member asked with a pinched expression.

"It is as I have said already. A night class for vampires will be established at Cross Academy. Although the idea is still in formation and in its beginning stages, I will see this plan come to light." Kaname said with finality, his eyes surveying the faces of incredulity.

"But Kaname-sama, why this sudden plan? It's quite a leap from what we have been…used to for these past centuries." Ichijou Asato said.

"It's not as sudden as you may all think. This has been an idea that stems from my mother, Juri. Of course, the headmaster, the widely known ex-hunter Cross Kaien will assist us in making these changes. It will take a few years but I'm hoping all of you will be supportive of this new venture." Kaname announced.

"Ah, yes Kaname-sama" Was the shaky response of all the members. As if any one of them would openly defy the pureblood, but stirrings of disagreement were only going to begin.

It was only from there that Kaname's annoyance was beginning to escalate behind his carefully cultivated façade. Three hours later after the discussion, he knew that once he wasn't in the presence of those selfish nobles, arguments would ensure. He didn't want to be in earshot when those occurred. _It's only expected…_ Kaname sighed tiredly, as he pushed open the dark mahogany wood of his door. The sensation of the ancient wood grain of the door brought him back to reality and he entered the darkened room. He approached his already well-used couch which he often found himself lying upon. Near a round glass topped table was a wine glass with water and blood tablets. Even though he had gotten hungry quite early from the start of the meeting, he ignored the nagging feeling and sat down on a chair instead. Taking out a piece of parchment and a fountain pen he began to write a letter to his dearest Yuuki.

Despite Kaname's horrible mood after being stuck in a room where every single noble was only thinking of the royal blood running through him, he smiled slightly. _Even if you're not here, you of all people deserve a smile in return._ After he signed his name off in Yuuki's letter, he continued to write a respective letter for each of the other members of the house that Yuuki was staying in. Yet when it came to the last letter, Kaname's face visibly turned more serious.

* * *

"Yuuki, you can't have anymore ice cream or else you'll become fat like Ruka." Aidou said pointedly.

Yuuki stopped jumping up and down and instead looked back at Ruka who was sitting comfortably on the couch reading a magazine. She scurried over to her and stuck her head on out on her lap.

"Nee-chan, Monkey face said I can't have ice cream because I'll be fat like you. But I don't think you're fat and if I could become like you when I grow much bigger, I'll be so happy!" Yuuki said innocently as she tattled on the poor soul.

Ruka put her magazine away and stood up to face her enemy. Aidou defiantly stared back and before Yuuki could even blink, Ruka launched herself at Aidou her hands around his neck.

"You idiot, just who do you think you're calling fat. Yuuki will be blessed if she ever gets a figure as amazing as mine, don't you know? Maybe I'll punch your face in and instead of a monkey you'll look like a pug instead! Do you want your face punched in?" Ruka growled.

Aidou coughed in response, Ruka's hands still wringing his neck. She pulled back her right fist in preparation to punch the arrogant vampire.

"Now, now children. Stop wrestling on the ground." Ichijou said, standing off to the side, as if her were playing referee.

"Who are you calling a child? As you can see the only child here is the one I'm about to kill right now, so if you'll excuse me." Ruka said impatiently as she tried to get a better grip on the flailing figure.

"Letters from Kaname-sama have all arrived in the mail. If you continue to create a ruckus in this house, I will withhold these letters until I see fit." Ichijou announced.

"WHAT?" Aidou screamed. He shoved Ruka aside as if she weighed nothing and stood with utmost poise. It was an immediate contrast to the state he was in just a moment ago.

Ruka scowled in Aidou's direction but deemed it more important to reign in her improper behavior. The rest of the vampires trailed down the stairs. Yuuki bounced up and down in place, excited to read what Kaname had to say to her.

"Okay everyone is here. Kaname-sama has kindly addressed us all individually in a letter. I hope all of you read it with great care." Ichijou said as he passed each of the letters.

It seemed Aidou and Yuuki were the most excited to read the note as they both ripped open the envelopes with vigor. Everyone else opened their envelopes with greater care using a letter opener. Ruka shook her head in Aidou's direction and bit her lip. She was a bit nervous as to what she might read.

_Dear Aidou, _

_ It has come to my attention that you are in possession of my left slipper. It would be wise if you return it to me at once when we next meet. This kind of behavior as you know will not pass without punishment. But to continue on a lighter note, I hope you are not creating havoc for the other members of the house as well as with Yuuki. The meetings that I am attending are just beginning. Hanabusa-san, your father has inquired of your activities. Write to your father in response as it will reach him through my messenger who will come a week from when you receive these letters. _

_ Kuran Kaname_

Aidou visibly paled when he read that he was going to be punished. It wasn't what he was expecting to read but it was still a letter from Kaname-sama and he couldn't ask for more. But he wondered how Kaname found out, he could only think of one person and he glared in her direction despite the fact she was oblivious to such notions.

Ichijou opened his letter carefully with the letter opener and was slightly surprised to see it was quite short and mysterious.

_Dear Takuma, _

_ It is with utmost seriousness that I write to you. I feel it is time that you understand the reasons behind the circumstances you were presented with recently. A week from when you receive this letter, a private messenger of mine will come again to fetch the return letters. Please come with a prepared excuse to the rest so you may meet with me to discuss this private matter. I find that writing to you of this matter will be risky and request that you arrive to see me. Take care of the rest and Yuuki till we meet._

_ Kuran Kaname_

Ichijou wasn't sure how to react to the letter, other than the fact that Kaname clearly wanted to keep this information between the two of them. He carefully folded the letter and slid it into his pocket. Things were only getting more interesting.

"RUKA! Did you tell Kaname about the slipper? I thought you wouldn't dare tell him. How could you do this to me?" Aidou yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Ruka responded.

"Playing dumb now? That won't work; I've seen the same tactics being used all the time. Just come clean." Aidou said.

"I'm still reading my letter. Apparently your letter was quite short as I can see you're done already, waiting for everyone else to finish. Is this stunt an attempt to gain more attention since you're no longer in the spotlight?" Ruka said mockingly.

Aidou gasped at Ruka and he lurched forward in an attempt to grab the letter in her hands but only felt air. She held the letter out of Aidou's reach and passed it to Kain. Ichijou watched Kain and Ruka play keep away with Aidou. He shook his head at the two of them and was a bit surprised to see Kain joining in. Sighing, Ichijou couldn't help but wonder what Kaname's message to him would entail.

-End of chapter-

**(1) LaLa magazine is a monthly shoujo magazine in Japan. Vampire Knight is published in this magazine. **

**A/N: Sorry for any errors in this chapter. I may have gotten very excited and made a few errors here and there. When I get a chance I will look over the mistakes if any of you happen to point them out! Hope you enjoyed the long chapter after the long wait!  
**


	5. Suspicions & Secrets

**A/N: It's been over a year, but there's still hope. Here is chapter 05, which I've been working on forever. I finally finished what I had in one sitting. It's a good thing I have the next chapter planned, but no guarantees as to when that's going to be done. Heartfelt thanks to all my reviewers and readers who have shown interest in this story of mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 05: Suspicions & Secrets**

_Dearest Yuuki,_

_I hope you are doing well with everyone else. I'm still very sorry for leaving you. But I'm working hard so I can come see you again. I miss you very much. Remember what I told you when I left; you must keep this a secret. I'll try and send a little gift for you if I can._

_Kaname_

Yuuki beamed and traced the familiar handwritten letters on the paper with her fingertips. She almost wanted to cry but she held it in, letting out a shaky breath of recovery instead. Her brother still remembered her, at times she felt like she was slowly forgetting him with all the distractions happening in her life. But nothing changed, she would still love Kaname in a way she never could with anyone else. The letter was short and simple but Yuuki couldn't care less if it were a single word either, it was still from Kaname and that was all that mattered to her. Carefully, Yuuki folded the letter back and crept away from the chaos Ruka and Aidou were causing. She left without being noticed, but she suddenly bumped into Seiren.

"Oh, Seiren-chan, sorry." Yuuki muttered softly.

"It's alright Yuuki-san, I wasn't looking carefully enough." Seiren replied in return.

Seiren peered down at the little girl she was designated to protect by the orders of Kaname-sama. Her letter was short as well, Kaname was always polite to her but he was also straight to the point. Seiren wasn't going to speculate as to why Yuuki was important enough for Kaname-sama to even care, but she was going to carry out her orders like she always did. _Anyway, she's an important friend now…a friend…This isn't any different from how I'd try and protect a friend if I could. _Seiren gave a tiny smile to her charge and accompanied her as the little girl walked up to her room.

* * *

He smirked from the brilliance of the plan and crept closer, confident that nothing would go amiss. He had spent all of last night to perfect the plan. It was simple; he would go into Yuuki's room while it was vacant and search for the letter that Kaname sent. Things weren't clicking in Aidou's mind. _Why is she here exactly? A human girl. I don't dare question him of course, but it simply doesn't make sense why a pureblood vampire would keep a human brat around. _Aidou couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of the brat; the caring expression from the day Kaname departed was the first time Aidou had seen such a face. _If a human girl could elicit such an emotion from such a stoic pureblood like Kaname, it could only mean she must be very special._

Aidou glanced down the hallway and turned the door knob, slipping right through the door like a cat. He quietly closed the door and let out a breath in relief. He surveyed the room as if he were seeing it for the first time. It was clean of course because of the maids, but he scratched his head slightly, wondering where a little girl would keep her things. He decided to start with the most obvious places like the table drawers, but found nothing but extra sheets of parchments and colored pens. He took extra care not to leave evidence of his rummaging around and proceeded to check under her pillows, under the table, and all the stuffed animals piled in the corner.

"GAHHH! Where is it already?" Aidou shouted briefly, exasperated. He bit his fist, the plan he had worked out wasn't going the way he had anticipated.

He searched the room again, crawling on the ground on all fours to check under the bed. As he was huffing about on the ground, he was ready to give up. He lied on the ground on his back and stared at the wall, berating himself for sneaking into a child's room. The idea sounded really stupid now that he found himself in this position. _If someone were to walk in right now, I would never be able to face myself in the mirror and call myself a man._

Aidou lifted himself off the ground and walked towards the last place he hadn't checked yet, the closet. He opened the door and walked in, his jaw dropping to the floor in amazement. It wasn't the fact that he could even walk in the closet that amazed him, it was the wide selection of clothing that hung on the racks and the neatly organized rows of shoes and hair accessories in glass covered containments that made his eyes wide open. Finding the letter was the last thing on Aidou's mind as he tried to fathom why such a small brat would need all this luxury.

Aidou always thought of himself as part of a high class of nobles in the vampire hierarchy, but this "closet" was much more extravagant than his spoiled younger sister's closet. The fact that a normal girl like Yuuki can even be compared to his younger sister when it comes to material things was enough to make Aidou's eyes widen. There was no way that all this fit in Yuuki's luggage bag from when she came, Aidou knew for sure since he had been the one to carry them inside the house. This didn't make sense to him even more; the only person that had the means and probable motivation to give Yuuki all these things was Kaname-sama, but why?

As he continued to stare at the various items like a tourist staring at a priceless artifact in a museum, Aidou failed to notice someone was watching him from the door.

"I can't believe this…"Aidou said to himself.

"Oh really Hanabusa, I wouldn't say it's much different from your own collection of belongings back at your family home." Ichijou said in response, a small smiling gracing his lips in amusement.

Aidou yelped slightly, surprised by the sudden intrusion as Ichijou closed in on him. He had been caught red-handed and his cheeks began to blush considerably in shame. How could the dignified son from the Aidou family be caught uninvited in a guest's room?

"So, why is it that I find you, Aidou Hanabusa, in Yuuki's closet?" Ichijou asked casually. Aidou noticed he blocked the only exit and he winced slightly.

"Ummm, I was looking for Yuuki myself and saw that the door was actually slightly open. So, I ventured inside and got a little bored. You know me, once I get curious, there's nothing stopping me." Aidou replied nervously laughing all the while, trying to appear as innocent as possible.

"Do you have anything else to say? I'm pretty sure you're wondering why there are so many things in here, no?" Ichijou prodded teasingly, crossing his arms at Aidou like a parent scolding a child.

Aidou nodded, not sure what kind of response Ichijou was trying to get out of him. He knew he was in the palm of Ichijou's hand, but he wanted to make sure word wouldn't get out that he was some creepy stalker that liked to snoop in little girl's rooms. The image didn't suit him well.

"They're all gifts from Kaname, more like consolation gifts for leaving her among strangers. That's what Yuuki tells me anyway. Some of them are actually from Kain, Ruka, and even me. I mean, how can I not resist getting some cute dress for Yuuki? Just the other day for example, I was walking past a small boutique called Strawberry Daisy, and this absolutely adorable pink dress caught my eye. The moment I saw it, I immediately imagined my dear Yuuki wearing it and I just had to get it. But then the ladies in the store brought me many more dresses from the back and I ended up leaving the store with a lot more bags than I had planned." Ichijou said all in a rush of excitement and crazy arm movements.

Aidou held a hand to his temple as he realized Ichijou wouldn't be stopping any time soon. He swore flower petals and sparkles would begin to surround Ichijou's pink aura. _That man's obsession with cute things and Yuuki need to go, right now!_

"That's great Ichijou-senpai. I hope I get to see that dress you bought then. I really need to get going now though, if you know what I mean. I'd also appreciate it if you don't tell anyone about this incident." Aidou added quickly, as he slid closer to the door.

"Oh yes, yes no problem Aidou. Now, why did I come to Yuuki-chan's room again? I forgot." Ichijou said more to himself than Aidou, scratching his head slightly.

Aidou rolled his eyes and quickly left through the exposed doorway. He was lucky Ichijou could be so absentminded at times. Raking a worried hand through his already unruly hair, Aidou briskly walked down the hallway to his own room, when he bumped into someone.

He looked down and almost lost his composure when he realized it was Yuuki on the ground. _Just my luck!_ Aidou cleared his throat nervously and smiled at Yuuki as he lifted her off the ground.

"Ow, what are you in a hurry for, Aidou?" Yuuki said as she patted down her dress.

She peered up at Aidou's face for an answer. It was then that Aidou realized Yuuki was probably wearing the dress that Ichijou was speaking of earlier. He hated to admit it but the dress did look adorable on her. It was a pale pink and white dress with embroidered strawberries on the hem. Her hair was styled into wavy curls that were pinned to her head with hair ribbons. She looked like a porcelain doll that had been given the breath of life.

"You know if you keep smiling at me like that, it'll stay like that forever and you'll scare everyone for the rest of your life." Yuuki said point blank.

"What did you say?" Aidou asked, trying to bring himself back to reality.

"Are you feeling alright?" Yuuki asked, wondering why Aidou seemed to be in a daze.

"Yes, I'm quite alright. Sorry, but I need to go." Aidou said as he moved right past Yuuki without a glance in her direction.

Yuuki turned to see him rushing towards his room and shrugged her shoulders.

"What a weirdo."

She decided not to think too much about it and walked towards her room. She had just come back from Ruka's room. Ever since she and Kain realized their feelings for each other, the relationship between Yuuki and Ruka had improved tremendously. It also had a little bit to do with Kain's coaxing, but Ruka was slowly becoming the sister that Yuuki always wanted…well almost. She had done her hair for her and Yuuki couldn't help but feel a bit giddy, she wasn't as much of an outside as she was when she first came to the house. The moment she walked through the open door, warm arms embraced her tiny figure.

"Yuuki, you look perfect. It's exactly how I imagined it when I first laid eyes on this dress. No, my own imagination couldn't give your lovely appearance enough justice!" Ichijou said, throwing Yuuki's small frame into the air like a rag doll.

Yuuki yelped about as she was flung in the air, wondering if cuteness really deserved torture as bad as the situation she was in at the moment. She was hoping Ichijou would drop her on the ground and put her out of her misery, but she couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of love. Ever since Kaname had left her in the care of these people, she was treated with the utmost care and love, especially from Ichijou. Yuuki still couldn't stop the blood from rising in her cheeks every time she looked up at the face of her happy fairytale prince charming.

"Ouji-sama, please let me down. I feel a little sick." Yuuki said almost begging.

"Oh no, my dear. I got carried away." Ichijou said, placing the frazzled doll like figure on the ground, taking note to fix her dress and the ribbon in her hair that was left askew.

"Ouji-sama?" Yuuki asked.

"Yes, Yuuki-chan?" Ichijou replied, smiling at her. It was almost too bright for her to handle without sunglasses, she thought.

"Is something wrong with Aidou?" Yuuki asked, wondering what it was that troubled Aidou enough to not bark out a rude response to anything she said.

"Oh, him. Don't worry, he just has a few things on his mind. I assure you, he's just deeply reflecting about his day." Ichijou said almost hesitantly.

Yuuki shrugged her shoulders and twirled around towards the door. Aidou was acting weird, but she didn't give it a second thought. His erratic behavior never ceased to amuse her from the mundane activities of the day. She sashayed out the door leaving an enchanted Ichijou fluttering right behind her.

* * *

"I just realized something Rima." Shiki said as he fumbled for the keys to the house while holding an umbrella.

"What is it?" Rima replied while twirling a lollipop in her mouth.

"It's Aidou-san's birthday soon! Everything has been so hectic lately that none of us have seemed to remember." Shiki finally slipped the right key in and nudged the door open with his foot.

As Rima and Shiki slipped in, a flurry of maids took their belongings away and disappeared as fast as they arrived. Shiki could never understand how the maids always seemed to know when he came in, even if he didn't make any noise. The days had been quite busy for Rima and Shiki. They had been modeling the new winter collection and no amount of fake snow would make the air any cooler. Carrying an umbrella with them everywhere to protect their skin was a pain.

"I didn't forget Shiki; it was merely pushed back to the furthest corners of my mind." Rima said.

"It doesn't matter, but I think we should still do something for him. We all need to relax a little." Shiki said, moving towards the lounge room to relax on the couches. He fell onto the couch and hugged the pillows tightly, closing his eyes. He was tired to the bone. Rima sat down and lifted his head to rest on her lap. He hummed in comfort and dozed off almost instantly as Rima lazily played with the locks of his hair. Shiki could see her smiling behind his closed eyelids.

"Shiki, what do you think of Yuuki-san?" Rima asked suddenly, her hand stopping short of Shiki's silky hair.

"I can't say anything about her; we're almost never around the house." Shiki mumbled.

"That's true, but it's so strange. Ever since she came, the aura around the house has been different. It hasn't really been announced officially, but Kain and Ruka seem to be on very good terms with each other. Ichijou-san…well I'm not sure I'm surprised with the way he's behaving with her, but it's like everyone is magnetically attracted to that human child." Rima said, puzzled.

"I'm not surprised with the outcome. She's a cute little girl, quite charming, and full of wit for such a small thing." Shiki mumbled, covering his eyes with the sleeve of his arm.

Rima supposed that was very likely. Settling into the cushions she relaxed her tense body and closed her eyes slightly, relishing this small moment of peace. She was soon drifting off into sleep, feeling the rhythmic pattern of Shiki's breath on her lap like a metronome. It was only until she heard the slight creak coming from the door that her eyes snapped open rapt with attention, glaring at whatever it was that dared to interrupt her nap. She groaned inwardly, wondering why the girl had to wander into this room when the both of them were still in here. _Just my luck!_

"Is it really Aidou's birthday soon?" Yuuki asked.

"Yes, but wait. How did you know?" Rima asked, her eyes glaring at her accusingly.

"I know it was bad, but I couldn't help but overhear. The door was open just a crack and I heard." Yuuki said in her most innocent voice.

Shiki blearily woke up, wondering if the voices he was hearing were coming from his dream. It was only until he rubbed his eyes and stood up to stretch his arms that he noticed Yuuki standing just a few feet away from him. Yuuki merely looked up at him curiously and he stared back, wondering what she was doing.

"Ummm. Did I miss something, Rima?" Shiki asked, confused.

"It seems I caught an eavesdropper." Rima said, not at all pleased.

"I want to do something for Aidou's birthday!" Yuuki said excitedly, ignoring Rima's hostile aura completely.

"What?" Shiki responded, bewildered by the sudden request. He really didn't want to get involved.

"We should throw him a birthday surprise! He's been acting weird all day. I can't believe he didn't say anything about his own birthday. How can he forget?" Yuuki said enthusiastically.

"He forgot? Really? Wait, it's too soon to be saying he forgot. He's the kind of person who makes a big show out of his birthday and makes sure he reminds everyone in the vicinity. When I say vicinity, I mean every living thing within a five mile radius can hear his loud voice announcing the day of his birth." Rima said, her face a blank slate.

Shiki laughed quietly to himself as he remembered the last birthday of the group's loudest member.

* * *

It was a beautiful morning at the beach house. The sun was rising, casting a warm glow over everything it touched. The melody of the ocean's tides and the chirping of the birds were the only sounds from the otherwise quiet surroundings. It was peaceful to say the least, but it wouldn't last.

The sound of thumping feet against the wooden floor and the shouting of the one and only Aidou Hanabusa whisked away any hopes of a quiet morning. All the other slumbering vampires groaned into their pillow, all except for Ruka who slept soundlessly without any interruption.

"EVERYONE WAKE UP RIGHT NOW! IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE MY AMAZING DAY OF BIRTH! ARE YOU NOT ALL PROUD OF MY EXQUISITE EXISTENCE? THE DAY HAS COME, SO NOW RISE MY LOVELY FRIENDS!" Aidou screamed at the top of his lungs, grinning madly like a psychopath. This was definitely a turn around from his usual morning demeanor which consisted of Kain physically removing him from the bed and throwing him outside his room in a heap.

Shiki and Rima were the first ones to walk out of their room, rubbing their eyes blearily in an attempt to see clearly. Ichijou was next, except he was fully dressed and ready to start his day. He was smiling at Aidou and Aidou grinned right back at him.

"You idiot, was all of this necessary?" Kain asked as he raked his hand through his tousled bed hair.

Aidou stuck his tongue out at Kain and skipped away towards the more challenging member of their group. Kain shook his head and walked towards the dining area with the rest of the vampires. As he walked down the stairs behind the others he noticed Ichijou carrying a a tin box. It was only until he caught up with Ichijou's pace and stood beside him that he noticed the red cross on the front side. Ichijou caught his gaze and merely said, "He's going to need it." Kain laughed and patted Ichijou on the back.

"RUKAAAA, WAKE UP YOU OLD LADY. ARE YOU HARD OF HEARING NOW? IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP FOR ORE-SAMA'S CELEBRATION OF BIRTH!"

Aidou kicked the door, but he didn't hear a single response. _This is interesting. _He was getting impatient and it was all or nothing. He slammed the door wide open and peered around the room. It didn't take too long to see where Ruka was located. She was right in the middle of the room on her huge four poster canopy bed, swathed in the silkiest of blankets. Not a single whisper was heard except for her soft breathing and the rustle of her blankets now and then. Aidou snickered softly to himself. Here was Ruka all exposed and vulnerable. _I think I'll partake on my birthday gift. _

He quietly tip toed towards Ruka bed, looking around making sure no one was watching. Aidou covered his mouth, trying to muffle the sounds of his giggling. He was definitely enjoying this moment of power. It was an opportunity too golden for him to resist. Aidou leaned over Ruka's prone form and gently blew into her exposed ear.

"Rise and shine, my beautiful princess." He whispered in his most seductive voice.

Ruka woke up bolt straight with her sleep mask still around her eyes. She was very flustered, her cheeks blooming into a rosy shade of pink.

"Kaname-sama? Is it you?" Ruka said almost out of breath, stretching out her arm as if to reach for him. She finally ripped her eye mask off and instead found a man stuffing his fist into his mouth, obviously trying to hold in his laughter. Tears could be seen from the corner of his eyes.

"HANABUSA! GET BACK HERE, YOU IDIOT. I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, and lunged at him like a cheetah about to go in for its kill.

It was at this moment that Aidou once learned firsthand, how deadly the wrath of an angry woman is on his birthday morning.

A few minutes later, a graceful Ruka entered the dining area and everyone looked to see her arrival. It was the guest of honor, limping in right behind her, that garnered everyone's attention. Ichijou could almost see a tail between his legs and kitty ears lying flat against his head in shame.

"Oi, Hanabusa! You look pretty pathetic." Kain said, laughing as he took another belgian waffle from the serving platter.

Aidou sent a death glare in his direction, but the effect was ruined when he winced the moment he did so. Ichijou, being the motherly figure of the household, coaxed the poor injured kitten and took out the first aid kit he had prepared.

"Honestly Hanabusa, when will you learn?" Ichijou said, putting a bandaid on Aidou's cheek for dramatic effect.

"You know me, Ichijou-senpai. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I still don't regret it." He said grinning madly.

* * *

Shiki laughed again from the fond memory and Yuuki tilted her head in response.

"Onee-san, is Shiki-san okay?" Yuuki asked, curious as to why the usual quiet Shiki was laughing for what she thought was no reason at all.

"It's normal." Rima responded with an outward sigh. _So much for a quiet nap._

"I want to bake a cake for Monkey Face!" Yuuki exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Rima stared at the bouncing girl, "Do you even know how?", she asked bluntly.

"Umm, no, but I want to try. It's going to be fun. I never celebrated birthdays with a lot of people before, so I want to celebrate even Monkey face's birthday!" Yuuki said excitingly, a brilliant smile gracing her innocent face.

"Rima, let's do it." Shiki said, breaking the silent war of wills between Yuuki and Rima.

Rima was startled. She didn't expect this kind of reaction from Shiki at all. The one person she trusted to take her side had suddenly stood against her. She felt lonely and foolish.

"Why? I don't mind wishing Aidou-san a Happy Birthday, but why should we get caught up in a child's idea of a party. It's not like you." Rima said pointedly in Shiki's direction, confusion in her eyes. She almost wanted to pout. _Why are you taking Shiki away from me?_

"I don't know. I just think this will be amusing for us. We won't be doing much except keep this a secret from Aidou-san." Shiki said.

"Ummm actually Shiki-san, I actually had something in mind for you and Onee-san to do for me. If it isn't any trouble at all." Yuuki said shyly, her hands clasped behind her as she nervously fidgeted.

"Of course it is troubling for us. We're working models. We don't have time for your childish games or your whimsical ideas. Come on Shiki, let's leave." Rima said completely agitated, walking towards the door.

Yuuki's looked down at her feet. Shiki started moving towards Rima, but slowed to a stop. An impatient Rima was waiting for him to join her, but he looked back and saw the small of Yuuki's back. He didn't know what it was that made him feel this way, but the always cheerful Yuuki seemed like the loneliest of people right before his eyes. He knew she was a mystery and even his quiet nature couldn't allow himself to ignore the girl any longer.

"Stop it, Rima." Shiki sighed as he scratched his head in mild frustration. _Why is it so hard to please girls?_

"Rima, please. I'm sure her request isn't an unreasonable one. We'll work like we usually do and go from there. Please don't hate me. There's just something bothering me that I can't explain, but let's just help her out. Just imagine Aidou-san's face if this actually works out." Shiki said, his voice almost begging Rima not to storm off in disappointment.

Shiki knew Rima held all the power in their relationship, he didn't really mind. It allowed him not to get too involved, but he especially didn't want to upset her either. He always followed Rima without hesitation or defiance. He had glimpsed a moment of weakness, a sad confusion in her eyes, as to why he would care for Yuuki to the point of overlooking her own wishes. It saddened him, but at the same time he would talk to Rima later and hopefully make her understand. He was confused as well by his change in behavior, but it was out of his hands.

"Fine. We're having a talk later though in exchange. So what is it that you want us to do Yuuki-san?" Rima asked, eyeing the young girl from across the room.

"You can help me bake the cake." Yuuki responded, smiling in light of Rima's decision to get involved.

"I'm not sure if you think we know how to bake just because Rima and I happen to love sweets a lot, but all we're good at is eating them, not making them." Shiki answered sheepishly. He shoved his hands into his pockets, suddenly feeling very useless.

Rima's eyes widened at the request. Kitchen equipment and her just didn't go together. The two were polar opposites that repelled each other. There were maids in the house for a reason and she wasn't going to get in the way of people who knew what they were doing.

"You've got to be kidding me. I'm not about to get myself in a mess in the kitchen." Rima exclaimed vehemently.

"You never know Rima, you might be a talented patisserie for all you know." Shiki said, teasingly.

"I highly doubt it, Shiki." Rima said, still unhappy by the current situation.

"It's okay, I never baked before either, so it'll be fun. It can't be too hard." Yuuki said, beaming.

"Oh god..." Rima responded, already foreseeing disaster ahead.

* * *

"So, the plan is to distract Aidou on the day of his birthday, while Rima-san and Shiki-san help me in the kitchen." Yuuki said, relaying orders for her project, Operation: Monkey Face's Birthday.

It was a rare moment, but all the vampires except for Aidou had woken up at an ungodly hour, just to discuss the birthday idea while Aidou wasn't around. Yuuki was quite excited, but unfortunately her excitement wasn't shared amongst the other vampires who were rubbing their eyes, trying to stay awake. Ichijou was the only one fully awake and he sat closest to Yuuki, nodding his head in approval.

"So who is distracting him, it better not be me." Ruka said, lifting her head from the back of the sofa she was laying on comfortably. Kain was right beside her yawning in total silence. Shiki was munching on pocky, while Rima sat waiting for this meeting to be over.

"Actually, Ruka Onee-san, I wanted you to distract him because you can handle him the best. You could go with Kain-san too, just make sure he doesn't come back to the house before a certain time. We can call you when we're ready." Yuuki said, a finger poised near her cheek, thinking if this was really a good idea. She certainly didn't want Aidou dead on his birthday. A funeral definitely wasn't part of the plan, but it was a risk Yuuki was willing to take.

"I guess you have a point. I wouldn't mind torturing him a bit for what he did to me last year." Ruka said, an evil glint appearing in her once sleepy eyes.

Kain shook his head and sighed. As much as he loved Ruka, it was tough job for him as well. Once she's revved up, there's almost nothing that can stop her from accomplishing what she had in mind. From the look in Ruka's eyes, Kain was almost scared of what the woman he loved was capable of and he gulped. _I feel sorry for you, Hanabusa._

"Well as for me, I'll be busy that day. So I'm sorry I won't be able to join you for the preparations, but I'll probably make it that night." Ichijou responded sadly. He wanted to join the fun too.

"It's okay, Ouji-sama. You can surprise Aidou with us when we have everything ready." Yuuki said.

"Also, I can't help but point out the fact that Hanabusa has been acting strange? He's been too quiet, it's almost a bit unsettling." Ichijou said, wondering why the loudest member of their group was keeping to himself these days.

"Ichijou, I don't think you should be worrying about that pest. Instead, enjoy the silence. It hasn't been this quiet with him around, EVER! I'm thoroughly enjoying this and I want to relish this moment before he's louder than a banshee." Ruka said smiling, unable to contain her happiness.

"Fine, but still..." Ichijou said outloud, but more so to himself. He was the mother hen of this family and he couldn't let it go as easily as Ruka. _I'll just ask Hanabusa myself..._

"Can we go sleep now?" Rima asked, annoyed.

"Yes, the meeting is over." Yuuki announced, stifling a yawn.

She slowly crept up the stairs to her room, while the rest of the vampires followed close behind. Ichijou lingered behind on the sofa, biting his lip. He had a strange inkling that whatever was bothering Hanabusa was the exact same thing he was curious to find out as well. He sighed, resting his head on both his hands, leaning against his own knees. _Kaname, I definitely need answers. _Ichijou stood up from the sofa and made his way up back to his room, passing by Aidou's bedroom doors. His gaze lingered at the door and he turned his head away to retreat into his own room.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the other vampires, Aidou was very much awake in bed, mulling confusing thoughts and unanswered questions in his head. He was no fool and he couldn't help but question the one man, he respected the most; Kaname. _Humans shouldn't be intermingling with vampires. Is this a test of will?_ Aidou growled into his pillow.

He kicked the coverlet of his bed off and grabbed the cup and pitcher of water on his bedside table. He poured himself a cup of water and grabbed the small blood tablet dispenser hidden away in the drawer. Dispensing a few pills into the water, he waited for them to dissolve and gulped it down quickly. He didn't take blood tablets for taste, it was awful, but a convenient solution to his frustration and hunger. It was temporary, but for now he felt a slight buzz from the tablets and he decided to fall into his bed and save his inconclusive thoughts for another time. Wrapping himself in his blankets like a cocoon, he fell into a deep slumber for the first time in three days.

-End of Chapter-

* * *

**aidA/N: Sorry for any grammar mistakes. I hope I haven't disappointed anyone with this chapter. Feel free to leave any reviews. Thank you for reading!**


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